Bella? Is that you?

Chapter 22

"Is everything OK with Bret and Rosalie?"

Alice smiled, leaning back against me. I kissed her cheek, wrapping my arms around her.

"Yeah. They just asked about you."

Me?

"They asked about me?"

Alice laughed, grabbing my hand. I squeezed her hand, feeling how relaxed she was. I love spending time with her like this.

"Yes, they did. They like you, you know. Especially Bret. She thinks the imprint .................. Well, she saw what I was like before I found you. She never liked Jasper, she can't use her ability on him, which makes her nervous."

I understood that. She could use that on everyone else, but him. I thought it was something to do with his ability. I remembered him using on me, when he got to agree with Alice about the birthday party. I would have agreed anyway. I'd do anything to make her happy.

"I'm not that bad."

"I never said that. I just like making you happy. I was thinking about his ability. I know I can sense your emotions, but even if I could manipulate them, I wouldn't. I would ask you and talk about it."

Alice kissed me, smiling.

"I know you would, he never did. He always tried to change it without asking me."

I shook my head, and checked my phone. I was supposed to be meeting Hayley to talk about me being a shifter.

"I know, and it annoyed me. I have to meet Hayley soon."

"Want me to come with you?"

I looked up at her, and shook my head.

"You need to hunt, and don't deny it. I'll see you later, after all of this."

Alice tried to say she was OK, but I told her that I would see her later. She left, after kissing me. I walked to Hayley's and she was there with Hope.

"Where's Alice?"

"She went hunting. She'll be home later."

Hayley nodded, and we sat down. Hope grabbed her hand, but I didn't say anything. Everyone knew by now, that they were together.

"OK. Well, you're a shifter? When did this happen?"

"Ten years ago. I was in my dads living room, I had been sick, and phased. I don't know what happened. There are a pack of wolf shifters, I know you met them. I had to join them. One day, after Jake coming onto me, and I said no. he lost it, and a few of them attacked me. Alice and Hope found me, and after a few weeks, Alice and I started dating. She knew about the imprint, and was OK with me being a shifter."

Hayley nodded, watching me.

"Well, that makes sense. Some families have the gene. Your surname is Swan, so yeah, that makes sense. Hope told me about finding you. It starts with you being sick, and you just phase. That's what happened to me and my brother. He found Melody, and after talking about it, he changed her. You know that a vampire bite can effect us though, right?"

I was confused, as she said that, and Hope looked concerned.

"But, Alice was injured and had to bite me. I was fine after it, a little woozy, but fine."

"If enough venom gets into your blood, you'll change. It won't kill you, you'll be a vampire. But, you'll still have your shifter abilities. And it intensifies the imprint. A lot."

Well, that changes things. I could feel a lot coming from Alice. Our connection was much stronger now, and I could feel a lot more of what she was feeling.

"Deer or mountain lion?"

'Mountain lion.'

I had a lot to think about. It intensified the imprint? We talked for a while, and I left. As I walked home, I thought about what Hayley had said. I walked up to my room, after speaking to Carlisle for a while.

Alice got back a little while later, and she was a little worried. I had been hiding what Hayley had told me and Alice was worried something was wrong.

"Alice, relax. Come here."

I pulled her onto my lap, ignoring how I felt. Now, was not the time for that.

"Hayley told me a few things. She said that ................. she said that a vampire bit can effect me if enough venom got into my blood. And that I would change, keeping my shifter abilities, along with intensifying the imprint."